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Conclusion

Experiences gained from mass-fatality incidents,
including the Oklahoma City bombing, reinforce the need to impose the
structure of a family assistance center on an otherwise chaotic event.
Although in most cases the response falls on the medical examiner or coroner
who is local to the incident, preplanning for an effective crisis response
should be based on the collaboration of many. Many lessons were learned
from the Oklahoma City experience. The response efforts in Oklahoma City
became another step forward in developing a more effective crisis response
plan for the next disaster and its victims and their families. The Oklahoma
City bombing became the impetus for congressional hearings, passage of
special funding legislation for victim relief, training development, and
identification and coordination of resources. Experts in many fields,
including emergency preparedness, medical and mental health, and victim
assistance, were motivated to examine their local crisis response plans
and their capacity. The knowledge that we have today came from those involved
in responding to victims and from the victims themselves, who have shared
their painful experiences so that lessons could be learned and so their
losses would not be in vain.

Recommendations presented in this report
are not comprehensive, but they are practical and useful and will help
refine and improve the crisis response to terrorism.